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Four possibilities for Pacquiao’s next opponent, says Arum

By Chris Williams: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he’s got four guys – Juan Manuel Marquez, Brandon Rios, Tim Bradley and Mike Alvarado – as potential opponents for the 34-year-old Pacquiao’s next fight in September. Arum says he’s four guys, but really there’s only three – Rios, Bradley and Marquez – that he seems to be looking at because he seems to leave out Alvarado’s name for some reason as a potential Manny foe if Alvarado beats Rios on March 30th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Arum said to Manila Standard “I’ve got four guys and after the March 30 rematch between Rios and Mike Alvarado they will sit down with me and we’ll figure this thing out. Manny might fight Rios if he beats Alvarado or he might fight Bradley in a rematch or Marquez in a fifth fight. I’ve got four attractive fighters and we’ll mix and match them.”

You notice how Arum mentions Pacquiao fighting Rios, Bradley or Marquez, but then fails to say Alvarado could get the fight. It seems pretty obvious that Alvarado won’t get that shot against Pacquiao should he beat Rios, although don’t see why he wouldn’t get the fight with the Filipino. There’s basically no difference between Rios and Alvarado in terms of fan base.

Rios might have a few more fans, but not enough to get excited about. Rios can’t draw anymore Mexican fans than Alvarado can. They’re both Americans, and I’m not even sure they can even speak Spanish. It’s not as if they’re from Mexico like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and have a huge fan base over there and in the U.S.

The only reason I could see Arum not wanting to match Alvarado with Manny is because he hits too hard and it a little bigger than Rios. The last thing Pacquiao needs is to get hit hard by a fighter like Alvarado. We could see him get knocked out again but worse this time because of his previous KO loss to Marquez.

You’ve got to kind of feel a little sorry for Pacquiao because those three fighters are likely the guys that he’ll finish his career against unless he pipes up and demands a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Arum is going to likely keep matching Pacquiao up against Marquez [if possible], Rios and Bradley over and over again until he retires from boxing. I can’t see any other fighters getting a shot against Manny unless Arum adds another welterweight to his stable that he wants to put in with Pacquiao to add some new blood.